1) Field of the Invention
The invention relates generally to articulating joints, and more particularly to a novel O-ring friction joint, and an adjustable articulating light made therewith.
2) Prior Art
U.S. Pat. No. 6,125,509 to Hartigan et al teaches an electronic device (10) that has a foldable housing (11) including a base unit: (12) and a cover unit (14). The cover unit is rotatably joined to the base unit by a hinge mechanism. Within the cover unit is a frictional hinge mechanism including a cam member (30), a cam follower (32) and an o-ring (34). The cam member has an attachment post (38) connected to an attachment gear on base unit such that the cam member is fixed to the base unit. The cover unit rotates against noticeable friction produced by O-ring rubbing between cover unit and cam member while cover unit is at angles of rotation larger than a pre-set angle, and cover unit rotates against minimal friction at angles of rotation smaller than the pre-set angle. The friction allows cover unit to maintain a multiplicity of positions with respect to base unit within a pre-selected range of angles larger than pre-set angle. Note, the O-ring 34 is illustrated in FIG. 7 and FIGS. 11-14 in various embodiments to produce friction and to lock the screen at various angles.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,634,061 to Ian Maynard teaches a damped hinge comprising a first part: mounted to a second part to allow relative rotation between the first and second part; biasing means for providing rotational movement between the first and second part; wherein upon rotational movement between the first and second part the first and second parts are arranged to cooperate to dampen the rotational movement. See Col. 4 lines 40-55 where the embodiment has multiple O-rings and incremental friction.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,748,671 to Christopher D. Wiegel teaches a microphone boom hinge that is comprised of a pair of identical members disposed in locking interfitting relationship, each member having an end to be stationarily disposed on an end of a microphone boom and the other end having a pivot pin and an aperture on spaced apart longitudinally extending ears and configured to rotate about a transverse axis to provide for articulatory motion of an assembled boom. No O-ring articulation friction is taught.